OBAMA: I Didn't Know About 'Outrageous' And 'Unacceptable' IRS Scandal

As he finds himself and his administration embroiled in "scandal," President Barack Obama held one of the biggest press conferences of his time in office Thursday afternoon.

The press conference was a joint session with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But the questions from the White House press corps focused on the IRS' inappropriate targeting of conservative groups, the Department of Justice's obtaining of AP journalists' phone records, and new revelations about last September's terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.

Starting on Wednesday, the Obama administration sought to take the offensive on the three different issues. It released 100 pages of Benghazi-related emails attempting to downplay the administration's role in shaping the talking points after the attack. Then, Obama announced that he had forced the resignation of acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller.

We'll be covering the press conference live. Check back here for updates.

UPDATES:

In his opening remarks, Obama reaffirmed that both the U.S. and Turkey believe that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "needs to go."

Obama also made a statement on Benghazi.

"I am intent on making sure we prevent another tragedy from happening again," he said, focusing on a push for more security at U.S. embassies around the world. He called on Congress to approve funding for more personnel and security at U.S. embassies.

Question 1:

Obama is asked about the IRS scandal.

"My main concern is fixing a problem," he said, again calling the actions "outrageous and unacceptable." He also repeated that he was unaware of the IRS' targeting until news reports started coming out on Friday.

“I’m a public figure," Obama added. "If a future administration is using the tax laws to favor one party over another ... we're all vulnerable.”

Question 2:

The second White House press corps question comes from the Associated Press, which had journalists' phone records obtained by the DoJ. Obama was asked about comparisons to President Richard Nixon.

"I'll let you guys engage in those comparisons. You can go ahead and read the history or whatever," he said.

On the Department of Justice's obtaining of phone records, Obama said he wouldn't comment on the specific case. Broadly, he said he would not apologize for leak investigations with a clear tie to national security.

"I make no apologies and I don't think the American people would expect me not to be concerned," Obama said.

Asked directly, Obama reiterated that he had "complete confidence" in Attorney General Eric Holder.

"He has operated with integrity, and I expect he will continue to do so," Obama said.